Windows 8 How to Check if Your Laptop Has a Built-in Accelerometer

[hawkeye62]

This may be a little off topic, but does anyone know how to tell if a laptop has a built in accelerometer?

Thanks, Jim

 

[Jimbo22]

How to tell....if it's not listed in the specifications, my guess would be it doesn't have it. You might want to check with the individual laptop manufacturers.

After looking up what an "accelerometer" is and what it does...I don't know of any laptops that have that built into them. After doing some googling, I see that there are some mentions of HP laptops that have the accelerometer built into them.

 

[hawkeye62]

Almost all tablets and convertible laptops have accelerometers built in. They are used in applications that get feed back based on movement/position of the PC. Flight simulator is one example.

My problem is that I have a flight sim that will only run in keyboard mode. I don't know if that is because the PC doesn't have an accelerometer or that it has one but it is not working.

The manufacturer has been no help. The PC is too new for tech support to know much.

I was hoping there was a device or driver that would show up in Device Manager or Control Panel that would let me know whether or not one was present.

Jim

 

[helpifIcan]

Maybe look in device manager for sensors?

 

[hawkeye62]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah, if I knew what to look for. I have looked in device manager for my Yoga 11s which does have the sensor(s) and the Yoga 3 11 which may not have the sensor(s). I can't see any difference.

Regards, Jim

 

[helpifIcan]

My ASUS T100 has the driver in sensors just thought they might be there for yours.

 

[hawkeye62]

My ASUS T100 has the driver in sensors just thought they might be there for yours.

What is the name of the sensor? Both the 11s and the 3 11 have a Sensor entry in Device Manager. Both have three sensors listed, HID Sensor Collection, Light Sensor and Simple Device Orientation Sensor. But, the 3 11 seems to be missing something else. If I disable either Hid Sensor.. or Simple Device.. on the 11s, the controls for the F18 game go wonky, but there is still something that works as a control.

Thanks, Jim

 

[hawkeye62]

Update:

I finally talked to a Lenovo tech who had knowledge of the Yoga 3 11. He said that the Yoga was more of a laptop than a tablet and that a position sensor (Accelerometer) was not included in the design! Hey Lenovo, quit advertising a tablet mode if it doesn't have tablet capabilities.

The Yoga 3 11 goes back to Best Buy next week.

Jim

 

[helpifIcan]

Glad you found the information.